Land is rapidly disappearing. Around the globe, only around 15% of land and 8% of our oceans are protected, leaving the rest of the environment vulnerable to development. Greater Good Charities is on a mission to conserve our planet before the damage becomes irreversible.
To date, we’ve protected 1.3 million acres of land which provides habitat to wildlife, strengthens our communities, and safeguards us against climate change.
Land trusts like the one we supported in Argentina are part of a much bigger picture. When we protect land, we do more than just provide shelter and food to animals—we support humans, pets, and life as we know it.
What Happens Without Protection
Every day, land is lost to human development, industry, and climate change. The effects of this loss are already devastating. Take deforestation, for example, which has begun to harm our supply of fresh water. 80% of the United States’ freshwater supply begins in forests, where wetlands and river corridors provide natural filtration. Without forests, we pay higher water treatment costs.
Natural resources are being consumed at an alarming rate, which could fundamentally transform the way we live, and healthy land is vital to a healthy food supply. The loss of land also leads to more natural disasters, loss of wildlife, and a decline in quality of life. Since 1973, there has been a 33% loss in biodiversity. Many species are now on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss and fragmentation.
The Invisible Services Land Provides
Land—and the loss of it—affects everyone. While there are many surface level benefits, such as the way green spaces can improve mental health, the true impact of a healthy environment can go unnoticed. Land is responsible for:
- Clean drinking water
- Wildlife habitat
- Carbon storage
- Recreation access
- And cultural and historic preservation
- Habitat destruction
- Water contamination
- Flooding and erosion
- Carbon release
- Overdevelopment
- And the loss of biodiversity
How Communities Benefit
Because land degradation has adverse effects on humans, land protection can greatly improve our day-to-day lives. The environment is not separate from us. We’re part of it. If we want healthy produce, fresh water, and to prevent the increase of natural disasters, we must conserve our land and resources.
Every positive step in environmental conservation creates lasting benefits for us and our communities. By protecting land, we can prevent:
Why Protection Requires Ongoing Care
Designating a piece of land as a protected area is only the beginning of land preservation. Threats to the area will continue in the form of invasive species and ecological degradation, and climate change will continue to endanger the preserve.
Land also requires restoration. Many ecosystems that are placed under protection have already been damaged. It’s up to environmental experts to plant native plants and support the reintroduction of threatened species.
Greater Good Charities knows that true land protection takes time. That’s why we build relationships with local environmental groups and wildlife havens to support long-term conservation efforts—like in the Puget Sound, where we are restoring native prairies through planting, rebuilding wildlife sanctuaries, and supporting breeding programs for endangered species.
Learn more about our ongoing projects and how you can be part of the future of land protection here!
